Children driving change through the UPR
After submitting reports to human rights mechanisms, such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and influencing recommendations, what happens next?
For the child advocates who presented at a child rights webinar second session of the series hosted by Save the Children in the framework of the “How to Child Rights”, the work hardly stops after reporting.
On 24 August 2024, the second session of the How to Child Rights African Learning Events, took place. Led primarily by children, the webinar provided participants with insights into how they, too, can engage in the follow-up of the CRC Committee and UPR reporting processes.
Child advocates from Senegal, Uganda, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Malawi shared their experiences in following up on global and regional human rights mechanisms.
Good Practice
A child advocate from Senegal shared how he and other children have worked to follow up on the eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM). As a member of the Advisory Committee for Children and Youth in Senegal, he explained that the Child Committee highlighted the issue of FGM in their reports to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), along with the Committee Against Torture (CAT) and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Afterwards, they visited health centers and educated themselves on the prevalence and severity of FGM in their communities and initiated awareness raising campaigns. These campaigns included going out into the community and conducting home visits to explain the dangers of FGM and hosting separate educational discussions for children and adults.
Additionally, the child advocates also engaged in advocacy with local and national authorities in order to better ensure they enforce laws pertaining to FGM. The results of their efforts are reflected by the increase in reports denouncing the practice, more child advocates joining the fight against FGM, and commitments by several local officials to support the end of FGM.
Click here for more information on the series and this session and to watch a recording of the webinar.
The example of the child advocate from Senegal, among others shared by the child presenters during the webinar, reveals how children can ensure recommendations resulting from their reports receive due attention and lead to positive human rights changes.
How To Child Rights
The How To Child Rights platform offers a series of practical, high quality, tried and tested tools, guidance and case studies and peer exchanges, to support effective and innovative programming for children’s rights. The series is initiated by Save the Children and developed in close collaboration with Child Rights Connect and other organizations, including UPR Info.
You can find resources from the first session here.